Alcohol and Other Drug Use among Victim of Motor-Vehicle Crashes – West Virginia, 2004-2005

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The study suggests the use of prescription drugs for medical or recreational reasons can make it more difficult to drive safely, especially when multiple drugs are used or drugs are combined with alcohol. In West Virginia, a quarter of the people killed in traffic crashes had potentially impairing drugs in their systems. Prescription drugs were found more commonly than illicit drugs. The most commonly- identified drugs were narcotic painkillers and drugs used to treat anxiety. Men were more likely to have detectable drug levels than women. Among women, drugs were more common than alcohol. People over 35 years of age were more likely to have used drugs than younger people. Almost half of the fatalities were using either drugs or alcohol, and one in nine had used both.

Magnetic toys pose a unique, significant hazard. Children can die or become seriously injured from swallowing parts of magnetic toys. Magnetic parts in separate sections of the bowel that become magnetically attached can cause obstructions; perforations; and sepsis, a life-threatening bloodstream infection. Since 2003, CPSC staff recorded 1 fatality and at least 19 cases requiring surgery due to the ingestion of magnets found in toys. Initial signs and symptoms are non-specific, leading to delayed diagnosis and greater injury. Even when caregivers know a child has swallowed magnets, they might assume that such small pieces will pass normally. On radiologic examination, a health-care provider cannot ascertain whether objects swallowed are magnetic and whether they have trapped tissues between them. Once magnetically attached, magnets are unlikely to disengage spontaneously. Caregivers should keep products with magnets out of environments where children younger than 6 years old are playing and be aware of the unique risks if ingested. Health-care providers should be aware of the potential complications caused by ingestion of magnets.

Quality of Life and Environmental Barriers to Health Care among Persons with Disabilities Los Angeles County, California 2002-2003

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Approximately 20 percent of the American Public has a disability and according to the Surgeon General, people with disabilities can and should lead healthy and productive lives. Public health agencies and health care providers should work on removing these barriers and providing information to improve the overall health and quality of life of people with disabilities and reduce health disparities. A majority of persons with disabilities in Los Angeles County experienced difficulties due to environmental barriers. These barriers included lack of needed home modifications, difficulty accessing healthcare provider’s office and unfair treatment at healthcare provider’s office. People with disabilities were reported not having as much social interaction as they would like because of their disability and not knowing where to obtain disability resource information.